Tag Archives: spare

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) — A state judge will decide next week whether the worst mass murderer in the history of Orange County, California, must face the death penalty or can avoid it because of misconduct by the sheriff.

Scott DeKraai murdered his ex-wife and seven others at a Seal Beach hair salon in October 2011. He confessed almost immediately and pleaded guilty to murder in May 2014.

For the past three months, Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals has been considering whether he should bar the death penalty in the case because the sheriff’s department violated DeKraai’s rights by intentionally and repeatedly hiding information about a secret program to use jailhouse informants against criminal defendants — including DeKraai.

The lead defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, argued Thursday that the sheriff’s department

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) — A state judge will decide next week whether the worst mass murderer in the history of Orange County, California must face the death penalty or can avoid it because of misconduct by the sheriff.

Scott DeKraai murdered his ex-wife and seven others at a Seal Beach hair salon in October 2011. He confessed almost immediately and pleaded guilty to murder in May 2014.

For the past three months, Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals has been considering whether he should bar the death penalty in the case because the sheriff’s department violated DeKraai’s rights by intentionally and repeatedly hiding information about a secret program to use jailhouse informants against criminal defendants — including DeKraai.

The lead defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Scott Sanders, argued Thursday that the sheriff’s department violated his client’s rights. “Removal of the death penalty is a

AUSTIN – UPDATE: The FBI’s criminal complaint against the Austin man accused of planning a mass shooting is now amended to state that during the search of his residence, “numerous items were recovered to indicate the usage of marijuana in addition to the sale of marijuana.” He had pipes which appeared to contain residue from previous use, according to the complaint. “Boehle also told FBI investigators that he used marijuana for a medical condition.”

The records submitted also showed Boehle was charged with driving while intoxicated on April 9. That case is being “held.” On the day of the arrest, Boehle was charged by the state with possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana. He was “released without prosecution.”

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) – The Florida Supreme Court cleared the way on Friday for scores of death row inmates to receive new sentencing hearings, while denying such relief in older cases, in a set of rulings likely to fuel the U.S. debate about fairness in capital punishment.

The fate of 384 inmates on Florida’s death row, the nation’s second largest, has been uncertain since the U.S. Supreme Court in January struck down the state’s penalty sentencing laws.

The high court found that Florida gave judges powers that juries should wield in determining death eligibility. The ruling left open what should happen to inmates previously sentenced.

Willie Francis, the first known incident of failed execution by lethal injection, was executed on May 9, 1947. He was sentenced to death for the murder of

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From the author of Crossed Over, Who Killed These Girls?: Cold Case: The Yogurt Shop Murders is another masterful account of a horrible crime: the murder of four girls, countless other ruined lives, and the evolving complications of the justice system that frustrated the... Read more →